Android is no longer just phones
Sound familiar?
Your app looks fine on a phone. On a customer's tablet it is a narrow strip with black bars, on a foldable it restarts when opened, and a Play Console email says your target API level is out of date.
Android 17, released on June 16, 2026 at API level 37, is the clearest signal yet that Android apps must adapt to every screen size. Google reports over 580 million large-screen Android devices in use, and "Googlebooks", laptops running ChromeOS built on Android, are on the way.
- Large-screen Android devices in use (Google)
- 580M+
- Android 17, released June 16, 2026
- API 37
- 2026 Play deadline: new apps and updates must target API 36
- Aug 31
What Android 17 changes
| Change | What it means for your app |
|---|---|
| Mandatory resizability on large screens | Apps targeting API 37 cannot lock orientation or block resizing on screens wider than 600dp |
| App bubbles and bubble bar | Users can turn any app into a floating window on phones, foldables and tablets |
| Interactive picture-in-picture on desktop | Pinned windows stay usable and on top of other apps |
| No restart on some configuration changes | Activities are no longer recreated for changes such as keyboard or navigation updates, unless the app opts in |
| Continue On | Users can move a task to another Android device and pick up where they left off |
Native Android or cross-platform?
IfYour users are mostly on Android, including tablets and field devices
ThenNative Kotlin with Jetpack Compose gives full control of adaptive layouts and hardware.
IfYou need deep device integration: scanners, Bluetooth, background services
ThenNative, or native modules inside a cross-platform app.
IfYou also need iOS with one team
ThenConsider Kotlin Multiplatform to share logic, or Flutter vs React Native.
IfYou want the same app on phones and Windows or Mac computers
ThenSee one app for mobile and desktop.
Want an Android 17 readiness review?
Get a free consultationYour Android 17 checklist
- Meet the Google Play target API rules: API 36 for new apps and updates from August 31, 2026
- Remove orientation locks and test every screen in landscape and resizable windows on a tablet or foldable
- Use adaptive navigation that switches from a bottom bar on phones to a side rail on large screens
- Check behaviour when the keyboard or navigation changes, now that activities are not restarted by default
- Support mouse, trackpad and keyboard input for desktop windowing
- Google Play raises its target API requirement every year, so plan your move to API 37 early
Source for deadlines: Google Play target API level requirements.
Adaptive is now the default
The practical lesson from Android 17 is that "phone app" is no longer a complete specification. Plan every new screen for phones, tablets, foldables and desktop windows from the start; it costs far less than retrofitting later. The iPhone side of 2026 is covered in native iOS in 2026.
For help, see our mobile app development services and our work with Android and Kotlin.
Key takeaway
Meet the Play target API deadline, remove orientation locks, and design every screen to resize. That is what Android 17 now expects, and what tablet and foldable users already do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Written by
Vishvas Patel
Mobile & Desktop Engineering
